


the sun lays down inside the ocean (i am right where i belong)

by ModernArt2012



Category: Naruto
Genre: (Kindof) - Freeform, Alternate Universe- Mythology, Future Fic, M/M, MadaTobi Remix 2018, Merpeople, Origin Myths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-21
Packaged: 2019-07-14 23:08:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16050467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ModernArt2012/pseuds/ModernArt2012
Summary: They say that once upon a time the Sea God did not have a spouse. Oh yes, best beloved, it is true. The Sea God was alone, then. The sea existed by its lonesome, deep and endless and unknowable and more full yet empty than any mortal could comprehend. Cold and capricious and unpredictable, calm to punishing in the blink of an eye. So was the Sea God since time immemorial, until the day when a mortal engendered curiosity in the God. Gods are not wont to change, nor take particular notice of mortals. Not after millenia of humans crawling about in the mud. For a God to take notice, to be curious, was a wonderous thing indeed.





	the sun lays down inside the ocean (i am right where i belong)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [raendown](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raendown/gifts).
  * Inspired by [To The Sea, To The Sea](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12972486) by [raendown](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raendown/pseuds/raendown). 



> Title from [Yellowcard's Southern Air](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbb50yYjQy4)

_They say that once upon a time the Sea God did not have a spouse. Oh yes, best beloved, it is true. The Sea God was alone, then. The sea existed by its lonesome, deep and endless and unknowable and more full yet empty than any mortal could comprehend. Cold and capricious and unpredictable, calm to punishing in the blink of an eye. So was the Sea God since time immemorial, until the day when a mortal engendered curiosity in the God. Gods are not wont to change, nor take particular notice of mortals. Not after millenia of humans crawling about in the mud. For a God to take notice, to be curious, was a wonderous thing indeed._

 

The first thing Madara does, when he gets back to the sea after visiting his hometown, is to sink fast and true into the calm blue waters of the cove where there will be no mortals watching. It takes a moment to remember he can breathe here, that he is not mortal and needing air, that the waters would not, will never, harm him. A shuddering breath free and clear of the murk and silt churned up by the boats in the port, a thousand times better than the air on land - coated in pollutants and chemicals, or too dry and dead and lifeless by turns - as the red tinged scales and subtle translucent webbing returns to his hands and feet. The current shudders and ripples around him, like a particularly exuberant _welcome back_. A moment of panic, as Madara pats himself down just to check he hadn’t left his cell phone in his pocket again and finds he’s in the kilt he arrived back on land in and not the mortal garb he uses above the waves. Then he takes off towards the deep.

 

_The Sea God heard the desperate plea of a mortal seeking aid in rescuing his brother from men who had stolen him away across the waters. Mortals are selfish creatures, best beloved, and Gods know this best, so for a human to ask not for himself but to protect another was indeed something curious. So the God cloaked himself as a mere water spirit and promised his aid to the mortal in stopping the slavers and the misery they polluted his waters and infected his people with. Oh, yes, best beloved, the spirits were still here then. If you ask our brothers who live under the waves, they will tell you the same. And in the time the mortal and the Sea God crossed the waters, the God fell in love with the loyal mortal - the spark of fierceness, devotion, stubbornness, unflinching courage backed by skill, polite yet wary of the God and the gifts he freely gave. But even then the mortal was free with his interest, in his questions, blunt and fair, easily riled with a few words but quickly recollecting himself. And so the God asked if the mortal would stay, and the mortal who had fallen in love with the Sea God said he would._

 

It must be a magic of some sort, the way Madara can touch water and know unerringly where Tobirama is. But the ocean always tugs him forward, adds a current to speed his way, shooing off any lurking dangers as it propels him onward. It’s not a surprise to find his husband teaching a lecture to a school of young water dwellers, as land living mortals call them. Madara lurks at one of the many entrances, and just watches. This is a side he so rarely gets to see - Tobirama claims Madara is too distracting to come and watch him teach but Madara would disagree on who exactly is the distraction. Still, all too quickly Tobirama notices and closes the lecture with a sharp, but early, dismissal. The children giggle knowingly as they flee the school, and Madara accepts the cost of getting his welcome home kiss in private is that the news will be all over the reef within minutes.

 

It feels like moons have passed when they finally part. “Welcome back.” Madara will never get over how breathless and barely held-together Tobirama sounds after kissing him, and doesn’t answer in favor of kissing him again.

 

_The mortal at first did not understand the enormity of what the Sea God had done, had given him - immortality, invulnerability, a piece of his very essence pressed into the seams of the mortal’s soul. Had changed himself to change the mortal in turn. Did not understand the gift he had been given, but knew his body, his magic was stronger for it, but did not think to tell his brother who he had traveled so far to save. But the mortal had to spill all when they were returned to land and the brothers were besieged by bandits, when the mortal slew them all in a lightning fast instant with neither blade nor bow to aid him and not an injury incurred though the fiends weapons had hit true._

 

_The rescued brother begged the mortal to stay, to forsake the Sea God who was ever changing and capricious and unknowable. “You cannot trust a God,” the brother cried, “Gods do as they please and mortals are just their playthings.” And back and forth they argued, that the Sea God that might throw away his beloved if something more interesting came about, that the Sea God would not. The mortal adamantly refused to stay on the land, and so the brother grew fierce and raging and hatched a plot with an enchantress in their town. On the eve the mortal went to depart, making his bows at their hearth and to the ancestors of his line, the brother threw the enchantress’ rope around the mortal. “Then fine,” he cried, “I will test the Sea God’s devotion to you. If he proves himself worthy, then I will let you go with my blessings.”_

 

Dinner is warm and comforting - the fresh taste to the sea food Madara has missed on land, but but with fresh spices too. He has to concede that building the agrodomes was not just a feat of scientific endeavor but also good for the people, for trade. For the past few centuries, there had been a steady increase in trade and tourism and even emigration between the land and sea, and one of the chief complaints during the transition had been the way the food under the waves was bland. He feels content as they curl close together in the kelp hammock and watch the fireworks that the land dwellers set off to mark the start of Spirits Week. “Did you know the mortals have started calling that time Izuna tied me up and made you come and fetch me ‘romantic’?”

 

Tobirama snorts, “That wasn’t romantic, that was a headache.” But Madara catches that Tobirama doesn’t deny the knowledge that they’re legends. Sneaky bastard.

 

“Izuna thinks it’s romantic.” Madara traces circles on the exposed skin over Tobirama’s hips. The shudder that Tobirama tries to clamp down makes him smirk. A few millennia and this trick still hasn’t gotten old - a heady feeling indeed. What their neighbors at port would think if they knew that their revered Sea God was weak to having the skin over his hips pet.

 

“Izuna got kidnapped by a immortal warrior, held hostage, refused rescue and proposed marriage in the span of a week. While concussed. I think we all ought to reconsider anything Izuna thinks is romantic.” A deep shuddering breath, and Madara dips a finger below the filigree pin keeping Tobirama’s kilt in place, though it’s losing a fight against the tissue rising beneath. Tobirama’s breathing loses what little composure he had been hanging onto as fingers graze velvet soft skin. “If you’re going to continue, we need to stop talking about your brother immediately.”

 

Madara grins like the cat that’s got into the cream. “I agree.”

 

They don’t talk much after that.

 

_A week after the mortal does not return, and the Sea God comes to the land once more. He had felt weak signatures, best beloved, of his bride, but only intermittently. But on land, the Sea God can feel the piece of himself he left in his mortal, and like a compass pointing North he follows that pull to his mortal._

 

_But the mortal’s brother was clever, and had stolen a book of magic from the enchantress when he had bought the rope from her. With that knowledge, he had set traps around his and his brother’s home, specifically to delay and frustrate things that were not mortal. And the Sea God met these traps without knowing. A ring of fire, hotter than the volcano flames, entrapped him from leaving or going forward, and the clever brother’s voice came forth. “Oh Sea God, you have taken my brother as your own, but I have heard tell of Gods and their ways. Prove yourself worthy, Sea God, and I will return my brother to you.”_

 

Madara wakes up alone, pleasantly sore and in bed. A warm current carries clean water through their bedroom, bearing away the scent of musk and sweat. He ponders spending the morning in bed, spoiled and redolent in  luxury. Madara ends up spending the day cleaning the house instead. Tobirama, for all that he tries to pretend to be mortal, tends to forget things like _food_ if not prodded, and as expected the milk and a few vegetables went rancid while Madara was away. It’s busy work, menial enough he can think about other things while doing it. Like how he’s part of a legend. A fairly accurate legend, even if it misses the really romantic stuff. Before Izuna went _traditional_.

 

Tobirama swims in around noon- an early end to class again since the semester was over in favor of the Spirits Week holiday. He comes bearing gifts, the coconut scallop kelp wraps that Madara knows aren’t sold before noon which means he must have sweet-talked the shop owner particularly well. How or why the old woman came to believe his husband is at all charming is for the Gods to know, but Madara won’t complain when he reaps the reward.

 

They’ve set out plates and have started eating when Tobirama asks, as if just now remembering that he hadn’t, “How was your trip?”

 

“Nice. Izuna says hi and sent some gifts for you. There’s a new shrine at the docks - apparently someone graffitied all over the last one.” Madara considers before forging onward, “Apparently the fad this century is adding a small altar for me.” It is a nice altar, though Madara had felt silly leaving an offering to himself there.

 

Tobirama smirks self-satisfied, “Brother will be pissed - he hasn’t gotten an altar in Mito’s shrines ever.”

 

“I’m sure he’ll get over it.” Then, in the distance, the alarm bells begin to ring. They both stiffen in their seats as the klaxons blare, then take off towards the barrier reefs.

 

_Now best beloved, listen well, for the clever brother set three tasks before the Sea God. The first rose up from the ground without warning, a massive rocky golem that towered to the tops of the trees. It lumbered but moved far more quickly than it ought to have, and struck fast as a blink of an eye. The Sea God fought with his water, but it turned the golem slick and sticky with mud, sucked up the moisture as fast as the Sea God could wield it and used it to heal any wound inflicted. But, the Sea God is the God of Knowledge too, and he knew how to move faster than a blink - move as fast as lightning. And so he dodged and evaded and finally noticed the way the golem never let the Sea God near his neck. So, mustering his magic, he made a large wave, larger than even the golem. And as the golem braced, the Sea God whipped to the neck of the creature and slew it dead. Thus ended the first task._

 

They swim against the flow of civilians fleeing towards shore, stopping to catch floundering, panicking children back to their parents. All too soon Madara can see the problem - jet black hulls that can only mean pirates. He takes armor and daggers from the guard passing them out, and turns so Tobirama can get the backplate on, does the same. It’s mostly for show, neither of them can be seriously injured by anything less powerful than another God or a God-slayer weapon, but it causes less concern for their comrades. It doesn’t bother Madara overmuch - the old iron armor he learned to fight in was much heavier and much more restrictive.

 

Not a moment too soon, as the first raiders drop into the water. They lack any breathing apparatus, but that doesn’t mean much. Some of the more traditional islands to the south still know how to make breathing charms that actually work. The hardened black  hulls keep sailing, but the hook shot cannons fire and sink thick hooks through. With sufficient engine power, the hooks won’t stall them long, but it should be enough for the coast guard to deploy and arrive.

 

Madara doesn’t have time to think on the boats anymore - the pirates are swimming in faster and Gods does he miss the days when it wasn’t common knowledge there was a underwater population here. When the most dangerous thing were the occasional bull sharks coming into the reef. He parries a slashing scimitar for a bit to tire his opponent and buy time for the fleeing civilians - who uses weapons that big underwater anyways? Fighting the sinking of metal is a waste of energy -  then guts the man. For good measure, he slits the man’s throat. The blood clouds the water a murky red, obscuring everyone’s vision but also giving them a time limit. The reef sharks would be high tailing it back in from the deep, and they need to start regrouping into the heart of the reef, where the sharp branches of the corals would prevent the sharks from getting to the defense party while leaving the attackers out in the open. The guards around Madara started slowly giving ground, their long war scythes and tridents keeping the pirates from following closely enough to see what they were doing. Finally, Madara found his assigned hiding spot and slipped in, just moments before the conch signaling sharks sounded.

 

_The barrier of fire dissolves and the Sea God goes forth, passing through to the heart of the forest . Suddenly the brambles enclose him, trapping him in the wood. The clever brother's voice rang out once more, “Another task for you Sea God, this harder than the last. Before you are three chests, each with one item. Pick the chest that is worth the most to my brother.”_

 

_The first chest overflowed with gold, and silver, and jade, and the largest jewels you can imagine. The second was filled with ancient books of power, information so esoteric and arcane even the Sea God shuddered to read it. The third chest had been filled with ragged, faded, threadbare blankets and soft toys. The Sea God carefully examined each chest, one after the other. Finally, he close the first and second, and declared, “This chest here is the one that means most to my bride.”_

 

_The clever brother appeared before the Sea God to see which chest had been chosen, then grit his teeth as he announced, “You have passed the second test. Follow me to the last.”_

 

Madara winds his way through the tunnels connecting the center of the reef, peering into each alcove and niche to try and catch a peek at white hair and blue scale. It’s not until he pokes into the infirmary room that he sees Tobirama. For a moment, his heart is beating double-time in his throat.  It’s been a long time since any sort of God-slayer weapon crossed their path, but since that time Madara has always been wary - they were meant to kill Gods, and his first encounter with such a legendary item was one time too many. But, Tobirama is just rolling out linen gauze around a deep gash in a guard’s side, and it is welcome relief indeed.

 

He takes the antiseptic ointment and starts daubing it on an injury. The woman - a reservist like Madara and Tobirama - sighs in relief as the cut steams. “Another battle without injury for either of you two huh?” Her tone is jocular, and Madara fakes a hollow ‘heh’ as he smears the herb paste on. They are well known from their extensive involvement in government, and respected, but perhaps rumor has started up again that they are not precisely mortal. Madara will need to keep an ear out. Get “injured”. Take a decades long vacation on land.

 

A calamitous _boom_ echoes from above them. The coast guard must have chased the pirates back above them, but whichever side is throwing bombs is going to regret it forthwith. He sees Tobirama making the hand signs mortal magicians need to shape water to their command, redundant in his case, and then slamming the release. A few moments later, he hears the eerie quiet that comes before a typhoon class wave, and Madara watches the others around them freeze. Madara shakes his head and starts wrapping the cut on the guard in front of him.

 

Her eyes are wide and her gills flapping anxiously as she gapes. “Breathe,” Madara chides, tapping her jaw closed, “Don't die on us now from asphyxiation.”

 

“My mother told me that Tobirama is a powerful magician, but I never believed her.” The words are murmured, awestruck. “A teacher, that strong?” The irony, as that had been Tobirama’s exact justification for the cover, as well as an excuse to teach the next generation _correctly_ . Madara back then had laughed himself silly at how _affronted_ Tobirama had been with the magic education, but there’s been dramatic improvement in the arcane arts since Tobirama took over the academic foundations.

 

Madara rolls his eyes, “Tobirama likes to show off.” With a quick flick of a hand sign, he draws the heat of infection out of the slash on her leg. She boggles again, because they live in water and who in their right mind specializes in fire, and Madara smirks. “Don’t forget to get a proper doctor to check that out after.” He swims off to tend to the next injury, leaving the poor woman wonderstruck behind him.

 

_The clever brother led the Sea God to a high hill just outside the forest, overlooking a village deep in a valley. There in a circular clearing, was the Sea God’s bride, tied to a pole with the enchantress’ rope. The Sea God waited, watching the scene, and after a moment asked, “That could be an illusion, magic you seem to specialize in. How do I know that is indeed my bride?”_

 

_The clever brother pouted at being caught, and with a murmur of magic dissolved the illusion over the bound figure. Now, instead of struggling, it was clear the body was limp and gagged and echoing with the same power that flowed in the Sea God’s veins. This figure, the Sea God approached, and pulled out the gag. A touch of his own magic had water filling his cupped palms, and though it was difficult to pour into his bride’s lax mouth, he managed. The mortal roused, and seemed startled to find the Sea God in front of him, “Why are you - Wait, brother! Stop!”_

 

_The Sea God turns, to see a blazing black ring of heaven’s flame encircling them. The bride’s brother yelled over the crackle of the flame, “Free your bride, oh Sea God, and you will be spared being wiped from existence by heaven’s own flame!”_

 

It takes a few hours still for the all clear to be given - the problem with using sharks as a defense tended to be the _sharks_ hanging around after all was said and done. Madara uses the time gainfully; once the last few injuries are tended to, he breaks into his office and starts up on the backlog of reports from his vacation. With this incident it wouldn’t do to get too far behind, as he’d have to share with the land police and Gods above he hated them and their idiotic redtape. It’s concerning that raiders came this early in summer - there wouldn’t be much to gain around Spirit’s Week,  but they might be desperate. It’s not worth speculating, but Madara notes that someone needs to investigate where they came from and what they were after, if there’s anyone alive to interrogate.

 

Tobirama comes by, based on the fresh coffee, but Madara doesn’t notice until his second in command pokes her head and tosses him out on his ear shouting invective and throwing shards of ice like Madara isn’t her boss but rather a target.

 

Threats of having Human Resources sicced on him ring around his head, so he swims home. The streets are humming with lights, everyone back safe and cozy in their homes, and it does feel like Spirits Week in truth now. All the more reason to get home, where he should be, spending the evening with his husband and telling stories of the Gods. Only a little less _reverent_ than the mortals would.

 

The lights are dim and every breath is heavy with the scent of sheer decadence. It doesn’t help that Tobirama’s pulled out all the stops - smoky gems in every color radiating soft light, his best kilt and the jewelry he only took out for ceremonial occasions. “Welcome back,” punctuated by a chaste kiss.

 

It takes a moment to comprehend, for the fog of the day to lift and _remember_. “Oh.”

 

“So eloquent,” and Tobirama is _teasing_. Madara wants to punch him in the face, just to see if it’s still his husband. He’s probably red and even after so long he’s still humbled to find there’s new things to learn about someone he’s known for centuries. “Come.”

 

Whomever said romance died around the 40 year anniversary is clearly a liar - Tobirama’s made dinner and it’s a veritable cornucopia of tastes and recipes that Madara had long thought lost to time and memory - and then Tobirama casually sets some water to cleaning the house while he drags Madara out the door. It’s clear that Tobirama has a plan for tonight, for where they’re headed, but they’re nowhere Madara recognizes once they stop swimming. In fact, it looks just like open ocean, but now they’re rocketing up to the surface.

 

They’re in the Doldrums - the Intertropical Convergence Zone - the ocean flat and still and dark black with night. His eyes take a moment to adjust to the starlight - then open wider with awe. The stars have multiplied to millions, billions of pinpricks in velvet midnight doubled on the perfectly glassy water, a never ending infinity spread as far as the eye could see. “Shall we dance, beloved?”

 

And, _oh_ , Tobirama never uses any endearment unless they’re alone. Some part of Madara melts, always soft to this private Tobirama only he’s ever seen, and it’s their shared power that allows them to trip lightly over the water as if the universe stood still and yet also revolved around them eternally in that place. It’s a peace and warmth Madara knows but hasn’t recalled in a long time.

 

And almost too faint to hear, only properly not a hallucination by the feel of lips against his temple as they sway together under the stars, “Happy Anniversary, my beloved.”

 

_The wall of flame blazed ever closer, and the Sea God could see the panic in his bride’s eyes. “Sea God, go back! The world will be destroyed if you are erased!”_

 

_The Sea God ignores his bride’s pleas to inspect the binding closer. Now, best beloved, what the clever brother had not known was that the enchantress he had employed was in fact the Goddess of Magic herself, the Great Mother herself. The Sea God recognized her work, and knew it was exactly what she had promised, that there was no means mortal or heavenly or arcane that the Sea God could use to break the rope. The Sea God also knew that if the Empress of the Gods was involved then this was both a test of himself and his bride, to see if they are worthy._

 

_But the Great Mother is a trickster as well as the Empress of the Gods, best beloved, and the Sea God knew this well. So he waited, thinking and deaf to the pleas of his bride, as the flames inched closer and closer. Finally the clever brother appeared as the flames were mere seconds from engulfing the bound bride and the Sea God, worried at the fate about to befall his beloved kin. The flames finally descended upon the duo, and the clever brother cried out, dispelling the magic holding the flame of heaven on earth._

 

_But the pair were not there, only the magic rope puddled around the pole the bride had been bound to. The brother startled and searched around for any trace, but the only one was the rope - unbroken and whole yet clearly the Sea God had removed the bride from the binding._

 

_With a crack of thunder, the Sea God appeared again, carrying his bride in his arms. “But- how!” The clever brother howled in astonishment. “The rope was enchanted to be unbreakable by any mortal or God!”_

 

_The Sea God smirked, “And the rope is unbreakable. Nothing in the Universe can break it by force.But,” the Sea God put down his bride and leaned over to murmur, “the rope was tied by mortal means. So I untied it.”_

 

_The brother fell to his knees and knew he had been bested fairly. And that, best beloved, is how the Sea God and his bride were united for all time._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to the mods at the [ Madatobi Remix ](https://madatobiremix.tumblr.com/)! I had a great time, and really look forward to next year! (Hopefully I'll finish a fic in time for the proper ship week!) 
> 
> And many many thanks to [Raendown](https://archiveofourown.org/users/raendown), for all her writing! I love your works so much, it was so hard to just pick one to remix! I hope you enjoy! (Y'all should go check out her work if you haven't already! It's all great!)
> 
>  
> 
> [Come scream with me on tumblr!](http://modernart2012.tumblr.com/)


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